I would like to introduce you to Pinky. Pinky is a well-known and beloved figure in our small community of Capitola, California. She is kind, quirky, and most of all caring. While the town may know her as Pinky, my sisters and I simply know her as mom. My mom came to the U.S. with a dream of creating a better life for her family. Through years of hard work, perseverance, and determination, she was able to finally build a place she should call her own, My Thai restaurant.

My Thai became more than just a business for our family, it became a place where we celebrated birthdays, made new friends, and found comfort during hard times. It became a second home for us. Most of my family has worked at My Thai at one point or another and it is truly a family business in every sense of the word. Despite the numerous ups and downs we faced, our family managed to persevere through the pandemic and ended 2022 on a positive note. We entered the new year feeling hopeful, but completely unprepared for what would happen next.

On January 5, 2023, our second home would get turned upside down. The historic California King Tides caused severe damage to our entire community. Many local businesses, including our restaurant, were destroyed in the wake of the storm. I'll never forget the look on my mother's face when she saw the devastation. We not only lost our business but also our home away from home. The road to recovery will be long and challenging as we work to figure out how to take care of our family, our team, and our community. We recently found out that our business insurance won’t cover our losses and resources through the government are extremely limited.

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from our community in the wake of this disaster. For the past 14 years, we have been blessed to share our home with wonderful local residents, friends, artists, and visitors. We ask for your continued support as we work to rebuild and get back to sharing our home with this amazing community.